David Langlais
Associate Member, Department of Microbiology & Immunology
Accepting graduate students
David Langlais is an Associate Professor in the Departments of Human Genetics and Microbiology & Immunology at Ï㽶ÊÓƵ, and Principal Investigator at the Dahdaleh Institute of Genomic Medicine. He completed his Ph.D. with honors in Molecular Biology in 2011 at the IRCM, where he studied the complex transcriptional regulation at play in the immuno-neuroendocrine interface. Dr Langlais then pursued postdoctoral research in Dr Philippe Gros’ lab at McGill. His research investigates the role of critical transcription factors in the epigenetic and transcriptional control of normal and pathologic immune responses. Dr Langlais has received multiple awards, including the Milstein Young Investigator Award from the International Cytokine and Interferon Society and his research was recognized in the Top 10 Discoveries of the year by Quebec Science in 2018 and 2022. His current research is founded on functional genomics, bioinformatics, genome editing and molecular biology methods to explain the transcriptional mechanisms involved in normal and pathological inflammation, aiming to identify and validate novel therapeutic targets for inflammatory diseases.
2023ÌýTop 10 Discoveries of 2022 - Quebec Science, award for the discovery of horizontal gene transfer in eukaryotic parasites via extracellular vesicles (Cell Reports, 2022)
2020 Prof Kenneth Morgan Teaching Award, Dept of Human Genetics, Ï㽶ÊÓƵ
2020 FRQS Chercheur-Boursier Jr1 award
2019 Top 10 Discoveries of 2018 – Québec Science, award for the publication (PNAS, 2018) of a novel dual-targeting molecule against cerebral malaria.
2015-2016 FRQS Postdoctoral fellowship
2014 McGill MedStar Award
2013 Seymour and Vivian Milstein Young Investigator Award for notable contributions to basic or clinical research, International Cytokine & Interferon Society
2013-2015 FRQS Postdoctoral fellowship
2013 Étudiant-chercheurs étoiles Award, Fonds de recherche du Québec – Santé (FRQS)
2012-2014 Neuroinflammation CIHR Strategic Program Scholarship
2011 Dean's Honour List for doctoral thesis excellence, Université de Montréal, Canada
Acute and chronic diseases of inflammation are caused by uncontrolled activation of the immune system and by ineffective return to homeostasis following insult resolution. Environmental and genetic factors are contributing to immune dysregulation. On the genetic side, not only inter-individual variations are influencing the inflammatory responses, but also the epigenetic control of gene expression by transcription factors is important.
The aim of our lab is to understand the role of transcription factors in normal and pathological inflammatory responses. We use cutting-edge molecular biology and genomics methods to:
1. Investigate the involvement of human genetic variations in autoimmune and chronic inflammatory diseases
2. Identify and characterize the function of transcription factors in acute and chronic inflammation
3. Develop innovative anti-inflammatory treatments, especially to target cerebral malaria